‘He Saw It’: Pat Cummins Reveals How Alex Carey Plotted Bairstow’s Controversial Dismissal

After beating England in the second Test at Lord’s Stadium, Australia extended their lead to 2-0 in the Ashes 2023. So far, the World Test Cricket Champions have gone undefeated in the Ashes. The controversial dismissal of Jonny Bairstow on the penultimate day of the second Ashes Test has stirred outrage among cricket fans. England’s wicketkeeper-batsman was run out by Australia’s Alex Carey after straying out of his crease in response to a Cameron Green duck bouncer. After England captain Ben Stokes stating that he would have not done the same if he was to make a decision, Pat Cummins replies to the statement. 

3 things you need to know

Also Read: Ashes 2023: Ben Stokes’ Heroics Fell Short As Australia Take A Massive 2-0 Lead At Lord’s

When did the Bairstow incident go down?

The steady chase in the contest took an unexpected turn when Jonny Bairstow fell victim to a stumping half an hour before lunch. Bairstow faced a bouncer from Cameron Green, but instead of judging the outcome of the ball or keeping his position, he left his crease to speak with Ben Stokes. Taking advantage of the situation, wicketkeeper Alex Carey calmly threw the ball into the stumps, dismissing Bairstow. The Australian team roared in joy.

The on-field umpires referred the judgement to the third umpire when Bairstow seemed bewildered. The third umpire declared Bairstow stumped without hesitation, leaving England at 193-6 and exposing their tailenders, who still needed 178 runs to win. Despite Bairstow’s lapse in judgement, Stokes expressed his frustration to the umpires, while a significant portion of the crowd at Lord’s directed their ire towards the Australian team, chanting slogans such as “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, cheat, cheat, cheat.”

Also Read: Day 5 at Lord’s turn spicy as England & Australia continue battling for win amid chants of cheating

What did Pat Cummins say on the following incident?

I think [Alex] Carey saw it happen a few balls previous,” Cummins said in the post-match presentation. There was no pause. Catch it, straight away, have a throw at the stumps. I thought it was totally fair play. That’s how the rule is. I know some people might disagree. Just like the catch yesterday, the rule is there. That’s how I saw it.

In these statements, Pat Cummins expresses his perspective on the controversial dismissal of Jonny Bairstow during the ENG vs AUS  Ashes match. He takes a different stance compared to the England team’s viewpoint. Cummins defends his teammate, Alex Carey, who executed the run-out, stating that Carey had observed a similar incident a few balls before, which may have influenced his quick decision-making. According to the seamer, there was no hesitation or pause in Carey’s actions; he immediately caught the ball and threw it at the stumps. He considers this as fair play and in line with the rules of the game.

The Australian captain admits that some may disagree with the ruling, just as there was disagreement over a catch the day before. He emphasises, however, that both occurrences were controlled by the rules, and he saw them as lawful based on the current restrictions. By presenting this opposing viewpoint, Cummins illustrates the subjectivity and dispute that may develop over some cricketing judgements and rule interpretations.